Definitions from Wiktionary

Conservatism Meaning and Definition in Wikipedia

Conservatism is opposition to rapid changes, and promotes keeping traditions in society. Gradualism is one form. The term "conservative" came to be used for a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment, the neglect of the poor caused by leisurely interest in science and philosophy resulting in the extremely violent French Revolution.

Conservatism tends to support the notion of faith, particularly in Abrahamic traditions in countries where those are the main religions. It began in 1790 with the publication of English author Edmund Burke’s book Reflections on the Revolution in France. In his book, he advocated for being satisfied and for caring government.

Some conservatives seek to keep things as they are, while others want a return to the way things were at an earlier time. A conservative party in England formed which wanted better cooperation between rich and poor, democracy, and somewhat of a welfare state favoured by conservatives in France and other parts of Europe. In the United States, conservatives were suspicious of the welfare state and considered businessmen trustworthy on wages and prices.

'Conservatism' example sentence in quotations

* Why is it that, as we grow older, we are so relunctant to change It is not so much that new ideas are painful, for they are not. It is that old ideas are seldom entirely false, but have truth, great truth in them. The justification for conservatism is the desire to preserve the truths and standards of the past its dangers, of which we are seldom aware, is that in preserving those values, we may miss the infinitely greater riches that lie in the future. - Dr. Dale E. Turner

Michael Den Tandt: Stephen Harper shuns the progressive conservatism of his political hero The combination of free markets, fiscal conservatism and social idealism remains deeply appealing to many Canadians Read more on this news related to 'Conservatism'

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